For A Change
by Kare Uta
Summary: For just a simple change that could mean all the world, the dog's small adventure makes him feel more than he could possibly understand.


**For A Change**

He couldn't sleep; it was warm. He'd had nights like these in the past but...he may have been losing all patience to treat this night like he did all the other times.

Quietly the dog left his place, the cold marble floor by his Master's bed, and crawled for the door in a darkness that was darker than dark. He hadn't always been a dog, of that he was sure, but he couldn't remember much about the time he wasn't either. It was a long time ago, he was sure, a time when he could do just as much as his Master. He could speak, see and stand up straight without feeling the solid floor beneath his face or back just a moment later. But these memories are all so faint. His mind feels cloudy and his head hurts when he tries to think that far back, so he stops thinking about it completely.

It's only the little things that should matter to a dog after all, and its all he ever really looks forward to. His next meal, next treat, next walk, next display of affection.

Pulling the door open he crawls into the hallway. The guards pay him no real attention; though they do turn to each other making nasty comments. They always take advantage of the fact that Arbitro can't hear their comments about his creation. They thought that by this moment he had become so simple that he couldn't understand what they were saying. In fact, he understood those words better than anybody, and even though his chest felt strange when he heard it, he probably didn't care as much as a human would.

He moved around the mansion just fine, knowing most of the rooms in it so he never needed the guidance of the guards anyway; it was only the world outside that actually scared him.

He passed the door leading to the rooms of one of the Punishers; he always knows because the smell of blood is so strong. Gunji's room was closest. This guy frightens him. He's got long sharp claws that he whips around haphazardly and that smell like blood, and his shrill voice sends shivers down his spine. His Master often thought that Kau was suffering some sort of seizure due to the shivers being so strong. However his touch is actually light when he pets him; he knows how to be gentle when he needs to be.

Sometimes he'll pick up stray cats, and while Master doesn't want him to go near these 'unsightly germ-infested creatures' Kau is aware of how fragile they are. Yet Gunji doesn't harm them. Humans however... Those he shows no mercy to. He can't see what he does to his victims, but he can hear them cry out in pain. He'll hear flesh being sliced up and torn, and bones being broken, the quiet yet shiver-inducing snaps. It makes him glad he's just a dog.

Moving on his gloved fingers he touched the surface of Kiriwar's door. This guy is frightening too. He's like a giant if he ever knew one. Kau cannot see it, but he feels the shadow touching him whenever he's looming over him. Unlike Gunji this one doesn't have a gentle touch at all. His big hands will try to pat him affectionately on the back and Kau will feel like all air is being punched out of him; the feeling of Kiriwar's attempt at affection was reminiscent to his Master's attempt at punishment.

Although…it was definitely a little consolation that the intention was different.

Sometimes the punishers talk to him as if they expect him to answer. Kau tries really hard. He nods and shakes his head, along with using the little bit of body language he still remembers. They don't always seem to understand his replies, but it feels nice to be able to communicate with someone other than his Master for a change. Everything he did with the punishers was able to supply him with an enjoyable little change that he was unused to, something that made brightened the life of a simple pet dog.

He often wonders why Master took away his voice and his eyes, but he's not supposed to question him. Without Master there would be no-one to feed him, bathe him, take him out or groom him.

Suddenly he hears a noise behind the door. Something is moving, but it's not Kiriwar's heavy steps. There's the sound of tags jingling. And immediately he knows who it is. When the punisher walks the tags will jingle as his hips sway, thus he knows the sound well. The steps are heading for the door at an alarming pace and Kau barely has a chance to react before the door flies open, the wind from it brushing against his face before the solid oak slams right into him.

"What's up, Tama?" Gunji petted Kau's hair gently, and Kau could strongly hear a cheerfulness in his sharp voice.

The door is slammed shut. Kau jumps at the unexpected bang just as he was trying to pick his tired body up a bit after it had been rather unceremoniously knocked back flat into the ground.

"Tama? Did papa throw you out again?"

He doesn't reply. He can't and it's not just because of the gag in his mouth. The only sound he'll ever be able to make again is panting and something that sounds a bit like a hiss. So he just sits there, facing the direction the voice is coming from. Sniffing a bit in the air he notices Kiriwar's scent is stronger on Gunji than usual and he smells like sweat too. Had they been fighting?

"Come to bed with me, Tama!"

Before Kau's simple mind is even able to register what's happening an arm goes around his waist and picks him up. At first he struggles because he's only supposed to sleep by Master's side, nowhere else, but there's no use. Gunji is much too strong. Like a ragdoll he goes limp and allows himself to be carried. He's used to being treated like a toy by now so he's learned to give in.

Then he's dropped. Every muscle goes tense until he lands on something soft, making him bounce a little. A mattress. He's on Gunji's bed. The sheets, the pillows, everything has his scent on it. He hears the Punisher shift with a loud groan and then the mattress sinks down a bit as he sits next to him. While this guy has never damaged him Kau becomes a little nervous as hands reach back to untie the strings keeping the gag attached to his head. Drool slides down his chin and when it's pulled out he swallows nervously. If Master removes the gag it usually means food or...

"Gross, Tama!"

Thump.

It falls to the floor with a heavy thud, startling him.

"Here!" Gunji laughed loudly and began tugging at pieces of his clothing, if it could be called that.

His long leather gloves go off along with his collar. He doesn't mind this even though the scar on his neck is obviously exposed. It's nice to be able to touch the soft sheets with bare fingers as he supports himself.

The two hands go to reach behind his head to pull at the mask. Kau quickly covers his eyes, holding the mask in place. Of course he hasn't seen himself since his eyes were removed, but despite what Master tells him he knows it's not a pretty sight.

"Oi! I wanna see Tama's face!"

His wrists are caught tightly and his hands are pulled aside.

"Ahhh Tama! It's really scary! You're so cute!"

Cute?

All he has ever heard is 'beautiful'. A work of art. A masterpiece. The best creation of his creations.

He doesn't feel like any of those things and thus the hardly listens when Master praises him. Though somehow hearing that he's 'cute' makes him feel unbelievably happy. The word has a certain innocence to it. Throwing himself at the larger male he licks Gunji's cheek. The skin is smooth and warm, tasting a bit salty. He groaned lowly. As he's about to pull back he feels something wet against his own cheek. He often licks, but...this might be the first time someone licks back. He feels warmth inside his chest and wiggles against him. "I like you!" is what it means to lick, or at least that's always what it meant to him.

Gunji tugs on the leather boots, but they're attached to the rest of the younger male's outfit . Quickly Kau starts to unbuckle belts all on his own, a little enthusiastically. Usually he won't undress before bed. Only if Master wants to play games. Briefly he wonders if Gunji is going to play those kind of games and it worries him, but for now he enjoys the sense of freedom that comes from being around The Punisher. During warmer nights the thick leather only sticks to his skin; damp and uncomfortable, almost suffocating him.

"Good boy! Now it's time to sleep! Sleep~ Sleep!" Gunji tucks him in as if he was a little child. Kau still couldn't understand how someone who lives to kill and destroy can act so much like a loving parent, especially when he was so child-like himself. He hears a click as the lights are switched off and then this strange man lies down next to him, already snoring lightly and sometimes mumbling nonsense.

The noise doesn't bother him. If anything it has a lulling effect compared to his Master's random outbursts and curses, or both.

The boy curls up and enjoys the feeling of soft, cool fabric against his naked skin. He briefly debated with himself about how long it had been since he was like this.

Finally, Kau sleeps.

In the morning Kau feels the breath catching in his throat, and, upon realizing what had happened the night before, shut up. His head knocked into something solid.

"Ahh! Tama! Watch out!"

Kau gripped his head, realizing he's knocked it into the other's. What had he been doing so close, he wondered.

"Tama breathes funny in his sleep!"

Kau cringed as Gunji petted his head, chuckling loudly. The blond man seemed to have bathed; he faintly smelt like some sort of lavender soap, although he still reeked of blood somehow.

Kau fell out of bed, hitting the cold marble again. He felt sure that his skin was mottled with purple by this point. His heart was beating frantically, he was almost ready to choke on his poor breathing. He scuttled about the ground, feeling with his bare fingers for his clothing.

If Gunji had already been awake, had already bathed, it meant it was time for work; Master would be waking within an hour!

He shuffled into the clothes that he could manage on his own, and in his panic looked around, having lost all his bearings.

Gunji's heavy form dropped onto the ground in front of him, reaching behind his head to adjust the mask over his eyes and the gag in his mouth, tying them both in the back.

"Calm down, Tama!" Gunji exclaimed seriously. "Your heart will burst out of your chest, Tama!"

Kau put a hand to his chest and then placed it on the ground, leaning forward and nuzzling into Gunji's neck before running away. He made it to the door, most of these bedrooms were similarly designed, and scuttled down the hallway to his Master's bedroom. The guards were switching duty so he was thankful that there sounded like there was no one around.

He gripped onto the side of the bed, pulling himself up to level himself with his Master who was still breathing evenly.

Had he been caught the punishment would have been severe…

Kau sat back down on the ground, feeling as his body crushed bruises as he sat down; the punishment would have been painful.

However there was a faint sense of thrill that he had felt in having left his Master's side for the night…

He wasn't sure why…

It felt…good.

It felt good to have someone other than Master by his side, even if it was just for one little night.

Later that day, Gunji greets him as he normally would; with just a faint bit of extra happiness that only Kau's precise hearing could ever detect.

**A/N: Wrote this little something for my friend who got me soooo into Gunji! I always had such a love for Kau so I enjoyed writing this also~ **

**Anyone who read this far, please let me know what you think! **


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